Have you had the chance to try out Angélique’s pasta alla norma, Constance’s tagine, or Elsa’s stir fry? It’s my turn to propose a recipe, and I’ve chosen asparagus with mousseline sauce. The great advantage of this delicious dish is that its main ingredient is in season!
When I was little, one of the first recipes I learnt was homemade mayonnaise; very quick to make once it’s stored away in your memory! And the taste is nothing like the mayonnaise you buy in the supermarket. Mousseline sauce is just like a simple mayonnaise, to which you add a whisked egg white. This sauce is therefore lighter than mayonnaise with a more delicate taste, making it a perfect accompaniment for such a fine vegetable.
Ingredients
- Green asparagus (white can work, too) – 3-4 stems per person
- An egg
- Salt, pepper
- Dijon mustard (I’m a true Burgundian, after all)
- Sunflower oil
Method
Cut the end of the asparagus off, and cook the stems in salted, boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Check if they’re cooked using a knife. Once done, place them aside on a plate.
Separate the egg yolk from the white.
Add some salt and pepper to the yolk, add a tablespoon of mustard, and mix with an electric whisk.
Add a dash of olive oil and beat the mixture, continuing with this until the mayonnaise begins to take shape. For a more unctuous mayonnaise, you can add a little water. What you have here is a classic mayonnaise.
After washing the whisks, beat the egg white into peaks – it should be quite firm. Incorporate the egg white into the mayonnaise very carefully, as you don’t want to break the white. Once your mousseline is nice and thick, it’s ready to go! Keep it in the fridge to serve fresh.
You can also add some fresh herbs to the mousseline – I like chopped chives or parsley.
Wine pairings
I recommend pairing this dish with a dry white wine – a fresh, fruity cuvée will complement the asparagus perfectly. El-Hem from Domaine Partagé has some lovely notes of acacia and fresh pear, a perfectly delicate accompaniment. Or why not opt for a wine from the Loire, such as a Savennières from Château des Vaults? And if you have a penchant for Crozes, you might want to choose a Crozes-Hermitage from Domaine Graillot, the Marsanne grape variety being a wonderful pairing for the taste of asparagus.
Bon appétit!
